Mackey on the spot to earn Saints a big point

Ben Mackey stuck a late penalty away to salvage a point for St Neots against top-five rivals Barwell at Rowley Park.

The Saints began well enough and deserved their narrow half-time advantage, but they then had to come from behind to salvage a point after conceding two goals in a nightmare spell at the start of the second period.

In addition to dropping two points, they picked up four more bookings and lost defender Arthur Lee with a leg injury that saw him stretchered off.

The hosts began well enough and went in front after 17 minutes when Jamie McAteer scuffed a back pass to Liam Castle and Stefan Moore confidently went around the goalkeeper to slot home.

In a carbon copy of their match with Bashley, St Neots contrived to see a one-goal advantage turned into a one-goal deficit as Barwell came out to score twice in seven minutes after the interval.

Barely a minute had passed before a clever through pass from Scott Hadland freed Jamie Towers and he managed to beat Michael Duggan.

Then, in their next real attack after 52 minutes, Barwell were ahead as Towers turned provider, his great cross from the right headed firmly past the keeper by Tom Bates.

Duggan mishandled a rising shot from Towers, but recovered to push the ball away, and he then distin¬guished himself with an outstanding double save to keep out shots from Towers and substitute David Barnett.

St Neots sent on substitute Ade Yusuff and, four minutes after coming on, he drifted past McAteer and was brought down to win a penalty.